From DE-OS-22 31 008 it is known to use tetrasilane (Si.sub.4 H.sub.10) as a rocket propellant. DE 42 15 835 c2 also describes silicon hydrides, preferably silane oils, as rocket propellants. The production of such silane oils is described in DE-PS 21 39 155. In the systems described in these publications the silane oils are burned together with liquid oxygen, liquid chlorine or liquid fluorine.
In the non-published German patent application P 44 37 524.7 (see also U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,390 of Mar. 24, 1998) a method for operating a reaction-type missile propulsion system and a drive mechanism for carrying out such method are described. The drive mechanism is operated in such a manner that silicon hydride compounds are reacted with nitrogen and/or nitrogen compounds at increased temperatures in the presence of an oxidizing agent for the hydrogen of the silicon hydride compounds. Preferably, the nitrogen and the oxydizing agent can be taken from the atmosphere of the earth so that a corresponding oxidizing agent for the silicon hydride compounds need not be carried along in the missile. Preferably, silane oils are burned as silicon hydride compounds.